Forced career change "best thing that could've happened"

Shawn Atkins looks over his guide to networks textbook in Oakville on September 12, 2012. Atkins graduated from a one year Network Engineering program at tri OS College and now is a network administrator at Loblaws .

Photograph by: Simon Wilson
, Postmedia News

Shawn Atkins was once able to make a good living in the manufacturing industry. The Toronto-area man, 43, joined Handy & Harman of Canada Ltd. shortly after finishing high school. The company makes braze, which is a solder-like material used in the manufacture of smoke detectors and switches, among other items.

Atkins started his nearly 20-year tenure there doing manual labour. He worked his way up the ranks to supervisor and - most recently, before being laid off - a purchasing manager.

But the recession that hit in 2008 compelled Handy & Harman to shrink its operations, and this left Atkins without a job.

"When the layoff came, there wasn't really anyone there who had more involvement or experience than myself, so it was kind of a shock," Atkins says. "I didn't see it coming."

Attempts to find similar lines of work went nowhere.

"I was applying for supervisor jobs and also applying for purchasing, because those were my two most recent roles with the company," he says.

But he ran into roadblocks because he lacked a university degree or purchasing manager's certification.

Atkins had an interest in technology, which prompted him to get his A+ certification in IT support before his layoff. That helped him land some part-time work at Best Buy shortly after losing his job.

But Atkins wanted to find better-paying work to support his two young children. He ultimately decided on a one-year network-engineering program at TriOS College in Mississauga, Ont.

He accessed the Ontario government"s Second Career program, which provides tuition funding for people who have lost their jobs and want to retrain in another field.

Atkins is now a network administrator at a major retailer's head office in Brampton, Ont.

"It was great," he says. "It's the best thing that could've happened to me. . . . It's a pleasure to be at work. Monday is my favourite day of the week."

TriOS is a career college that has several campuses across southern Ontario. It attracts many students who change careers well into adulthood, says Frank Gerencser, the school's CEO.

He says the average age of his students is 33. Many once had solid careers in the manufacturing sector but had to switch course as the economy changed.

"Manufacturing has been declining for decades, and it will continue to decline," he says.

Gerencser says manufacturing is a sector that's getting smaller, and many of the jobs that remain require advanced knowledge.

"If you go to a Toyota factory, for instance, in Cambridge (Ont.), go through the place and you'll see there are robots everywhere," he says. "The jobs still exist, but there's less jobs, and what jobs are there are servicing the robots."

Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist for CIBC World Markets, says many people from the manufacturing industry are making career changes, and for good reason.

"Manufacturing once was a career," he says. "Now more and more people realize that manufacturing is not a career for them ... and potential to advance is limited. It's an industry that is getting smaller."

Programs in health and technology are the most popular ones for second-career students, Gerencser says.

He says the idea of going back to school to change careers is nothing new, and schools like his have been catering to this demand since the 1800s. What does change, he says, is the know-how required to match an era's workplace demands.

"When the typewriter was a new technology, the business schools of the day taught our fathers' grandmothers and great-grandmothers how to type," he says.

Tal, however, says there are now more people than ever before taking on new careers in mid-life, and the Internet facilitates this through educational programs that can be done remotely on a part-time basis.

"You might be able to continue with your current job while studying online," he says. "The very existence of the Internet makes this move easier."

Tal says increasing numbers of people will change career paths at advanced stages of their lives due to the "skills mismatch" that allows for high rates of unemployment while jobs go unfilled for lack of qualified candidates.

"There is a significant gap between what the economy needs and what is available, and this mismatch will not close any time soon," he says.

Story Tools

Shawn Atkins looks over his guide to networks textbook in Oakville on September 12, 2012. Atkins graduated from a one year Network Engineering program at tri OS College and now is a network administrator at Loblaws .

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.